Ternisien, Xavier

1 article of this author has been cited in the European Press Review so far.

Le Monde - France | 05/03/2009

The press as a public service

The daily Le Monde comments on the announcement by President Nicolas Sarkozy that the French press will receive subsidies amounting to 600 million euros over three years. "While the publishers unanimously welcomed the announcement, certain left-wing and conservative commentators find so much generosity suspicious. ... The aid can be justified if you view the press as a public service, even if it doesn't belong to the state. ... We're not there yet. But the Americans are seriously considering the transition to 'non-commercial' journalism. The print media are losing their readers and the digital media still haven't found a business model. Consequently many people in the US think that the press should be financed by foundations and generous donations, and thus freed from the burdens of the free market."